A/N: Just so you all know, my chapters tend to be LONG. I'm writing a book, after all, and I'm used to that format. Don't kill meeee!
Chapter 3: A New Mediator
**Suze**
Whoa. There was a new mediator in Carmel-by-the-sea, and she had some weird abilities. "You just answered my thought," I said. Really, I had been thinking "I wonder what Calixte means," and she just answered me. That was way cool.
"That's really quite remarkable, Calixte. Could you do it again?" Father Dom said. I almost laughed. He was so excited about this…
"I – I shouldn't. I mean I don't…" Cali started to protest, then stopped and sighed. "Fine. Fine. Yeah, I've been able to do this my whole life, Father Dom." Wow, she must've dealt with a lot of ghosts. "Yeah, Suze, I've dealt with a lot of ghosts, and yes – er, whoever you are, I have telekinesis," she said to Jesse, who smiled.
"Jesse," he told her, eyeing her outfit. He looked a little confused by it, actually. I mean, even I was kind of confused by it. She was wearing all black, and fishnets and knee boots. What shocked me was that it looked good on her. On me, that outfit would make me look like a slut. But on her, it just looked badass and rebellious. Ohh, how I envied her…At least, I hoped that look Jesse was giving her was one of confusion…
"Suze, do you know a guy named Paul Slater?" she asked me, curious. I couldn't help but clench my hands into fists at the sound of his name. I hated him. I really, really hated him. Why did she know him? "He came over to my house. Said he saw me walking in and wanted to introduce himself," she said, having heard my thoughts. She seemed to dislike him, too. Smart.
"Yeah, I know him," I growled, glaring at the image of him I saw in my mind. "Jerk…Hey Cali, d'you wanna come over after school? Or something?" I blinked, and realized what I had just said. Did I really want her to come over? Actually yeah, I did…I was really curious about her. She was interesting. Different. Kind of intimidating, actually. I had a feeling she and Spike would get along.
Cali blinked, looking as shocked as I'd felt, hearing the words come out of my mouth. She obviously hadn't expected to make any friends on the first day. "Sure," she said hesitantly. "I mean, if you actually want me to come over," she added quietly.
Damn! I forgot she could hear my thoughts. "Yeah, I do," I assured her, smiling. I was honestly curious about her. She seemed kind of overwhelmed. I suspected that once you got to know her, she was really nice. But her first impression was something along the lines of "piss me off and you die."
Cali smiled. "Alright. Where should we meet…?"
"By the fountain?" I suggested.
Cali nodded. "Alright, by the fountain. Now if you all don't mind, I'd like to get to choir, as it's the only class I'm actually looking forward to," she said dryly, starting to get up. Almost as soon as she stood up, Jesse yanked her back down.
"Thank you, Jesse," Father Dom said. Had he told Jesse to keep her here? "You may go, Susannah. I need to speak with Calixte," he said to me, eyeing her. I stood kind of hesitantly, then shrugged and walked out. I envied Cali so much…she was just…graceful, really, is the only way to describe her. Catlike, almost. And by 'catlike,' I don't mean like Spike. I really don't mean like spike. She just looked like she could fall flat on her face, and it would be one of the most graceful things anyone had ever seen. Now why couldn't I be like that? If I fall flat on my face, I fall flat on my face and everyone would laugh…I kept thinking about this all through English class…
**Cali**
"Look, Father Dom, as much as I'd love to stay and chat, I really want to get to class. Can I go yet?" I asked, knowing I sounded a little whiny…but you'd feel whiny too if you were sitting on a couch next to a really hot guy, talking to a priest. Even if the really hot guy happened to be dead…
"No. Listen, Calixte. There's a boy, Paul Slater. He's…not who you think he is," he said vaguely.
"Oh? So he's not a self-obsessed, arrogant asshole?" I said, really not caring about the language I was using in front of the priest. I sensed Jesse raise an eyebrow, shocked at my language. I heard him thinking "Ladies should not stain their lips with cursing like that…" I grinned. "Pray tell, what should I stain my lips with, then?" I asked, knowing I was being a horrible flirt and loving it. Oh come on. Jesse walked right into that one. How could I not reply like that? You would've done the same.
Jesse blushed. Blushed! Hahaha…Rachel had always said I could make any guy turn beet red in a matter of seconds. Right again, Rach, I thought to her, though I knew she couldn't hear me. "I – Um," he stammered, much to my amusement.
I turned back to Father Dom, who was almost as red as Jesse was. "Calixte, now was that really necessary?" he asked me, his blush fading.
I appeared to think for a moment. Appeared. Yeah, did I mention I do a lot of acting? Another of my hobbies. "Hmm…Absolutely. Now if you'll excuse me," I said, standing. "I'll take my leave."
"I'm not done with you yet," Father Dom said, and I felt a hand yank me down by the back of my shirt. I instinctively slapped at it, but fell back onto the couch anyway. "Stay away from Paul Slater. He is…he's something else. We don't quite know what he is," Father Dom said hesitantly.
I shook my head. "I know what he is. As I said before, he's an arrogant, self-obsessed asshole with absolutely no brain between his ears. Like all guys," I added dryly. I couldn't help it. Rachel, before she died, had started calling me a feminazi because I just hated guys. I mean, I'm straight, but I hate guys. I wish to strangle each and every one of them. Except for maybe Jesse and Father Dom. Father Dom was nice and Jesse didn't seem all that bad. His good looks helped a little, too. "I can I please go to class now?" I begged, still flipping my spare pencil around my fingers. I stood, and as soon as I felt Jesse's hand grab my wrist, I sent all my telekinetic power at his hand, which detached itself from my wrist and slammed hard against the wall.
"Ow," he complained.
I rolled my eyes in response and gathered my bags. "Bye, Father Dom. Nice meeting you, Jesse," I called, walking out the door, holding my map and heading in the direction I hoped would lead me to the choir room.
**Jesse**
Well she was an interesting specimen. She seemed a bit…cooler than Susannah. By "cooler," I mean calm, more laid back. She seemed a little edgy, though. She was definitely afraid to let others know about her powers. She and Susannah were alike that way. She really knows how to make a guy blush, though, I have to admit.
"Well, Jesse, what do you think?" Father Dominic asked me.
"About what?" I thought he was talking about Calixte, but I wanted to make sure…
"About who, you mean. Calixte," he confirmed. I had to think a bit before answering. She was intimidating, even though she definitely wasn't big. I guessed she was about…five feet, five, maybe six inches tall. She could wear black. Oh, could she wear black…It looked excellent on her. It looked…different on Susannah. Calixte looked…there was a word I was looking for...black, intimidating…Oh. Dangerous. Calixte looked dangerous. Even her fingernails had been sharpened into rounded points. Her middle finger and thumbnail looked almost daggerlike. If I'm remembering correctly, I believe there was even a bit of dried blood on her middle fingernail. She was witty, too. You would've blushed too, believe me.
"Hmm," I said to Father Dominic. What could I say about Calixte? She was…she was a tease, really. She was beautiful, and she knew it. Though something about the way she spoke about Slater made me wonder what had happened to make her detest males so. Maybe she'd had her heart broken? That would do it. I'd talk to her when she came to Susannah's house. For all that Calixte looked dangerous and hated men, I liked her. I had to admit to myself that I liked her. The worst thing was, she probably knew. "I like her, Father Dominic. She and Susannah will get along famously."